Mistress
by Kalira69
Summary: Tomoki never even expected to see the last of the Hatake Clan, let alone be chosen and carried away by him. Tomoki couldn't be more surprised or delighted in his new Mistress, Hatake's student, however. (Written for Sakura Month, Day 2) (Training Sakura side story)


Written for Day 2 of Sakura Month: Unconditional Love

Okay, admittedly, this one is for Sakura Month (who better to embody _unconditional love_ than a dog?) but also for an ongoing series of mine (because I knew there would be a dog POV story eventually that would fit it _perfectly_ ) . . . but far ahead of anything else yet published. I believe it reads all right (currently) out of timeline and without background information.

(That background information, however: post-Sasuke Retrieval Arc, Kakashi kept Sakura as his sole student and they grew closer as sensei and apprentice. A year or so later, Kakashi gifts her a ninken-summon of her own to train them up together.)

* * *

"How did it go?"

"Is your summoner nice?"

"What's the human world like?"

Tomoki preened, holding his head high as he trotted back in amongst the other puppies and their barrage of questions. "My summoner is _awesome_ ," he said proudly, "she's gonna be the best Mistress _ever_!"

" _I_ thought you said Tomoki got picked by _Hatake Kakashi_ , what's all this then?"

Tomoki lowered his chest a bit and bared his fangs at Saeki. "My Mistress is Kakashi-sama's _student_ and I'm her first ninken partner!" he snapped defensively.

"Anyway Kakashi-sama _did_ pick Tomoki out." Yoshiko pointed out almost slyly. "He came here and looked over all of us, we _all_ saw. And then he chose Tomoki; for his student."

Tomoki wagged his tail and held his head high, but his ears twitched a little lower at the intimidating memory. He had been excited to _see_ the lone remaining Hatake - all of the puppies had - who called and ran with a pack of eight ninken, but he had _never_ expected to be so much as noticed.

 _Tomoki bounced a little on his paws but stayed low, peeking around Yoshiko's shoulders, trying to get a good look at Kakashi without being too obvious. Kakashi hadn't come to look at the puppies_ _ **properly**_ _in several years, his mother said, and all of them were excited._

" _Maa. . ." Hatake's voice was soft, and Tomoki could_ _ **almost**_ _see more than a dark sleeve and then- "What about this one?" he asked._

 _Tomoki heard several of his fellows whining sadly, but he hadn't even hoped to be singled out himself, he just wanted to_ _ **see**_ _Hatake._

 _A hand closed around his scruff and gently pulled him up and he yipped in surprise as he was brought up high enough to see a single soft grey eye focused on him. He yipped again, tucking his legs and tail in tighter, and then whined._

" _What's your name?"_

 _Tomoki whined softly again, shivering, then braced himself. "I- I'm Tomoki, Hatake-sama."_

" _Mm. . ." Kakashi gently put a hand under Tomoki's curled rump and brought him closer._

" _Boss, he's Akemi's cousin's pup." Another voice from near Kakashi's side, this from another ninken. One of Kakashi's own pack, certainly._

 _Tomoki ducked his head a little more._

" _Maa, I like him." Kakashi settled Tomoki on his lap and ruffled his ears with both hands, fingertips curling to get into just the right spots behind them. Tomoki wriggled with pleasure across Kakashi's thighs, then froze, looking up. Kakashi bent, sharp nose nuzzling into the fur of Tomoki's head as he scented Tomoki before straightening a bit once more. "I think this is the one."_

 _Tomoki yelped in surprise, paws splaying wide._

" _Is that all right?" Kakashi asked, looking aside._

" _We would be honoured." Tomoki's mother said, bowing her head slightly._

" _Thank you." Kakashi bowed his head respectfully to Tomoki's parents and he wriggled again in his shock. "I have a student," Kakashi said, looking back at Tomoki, "and I want you to be her partner; the first of_ _ **her**_ _pack."_

 _Tomoki's ears perked forwards and his nose twitched._

 _Kakashi's expression was warm and his scent, under the common bits of metal and paper and plant, was likewise; fond and confident. "She's just a pup herself; you'd grow into yourselves together. That's the best way, ne?"_

" _Of course, Boss." Tomoki didn't know the long-legged, tall, slender ninken who stood at Kakashi's side, but he grinned at Tomoki reassuringly, tail giving a lazy wag. "We'll train 'em up together."_

" _What to you think, Tomoki?" Kakashi asked, one big hand brushing along Tomoki's muzzle and shoulder._

 _Tomoki fidgeted, then drew himself up a little more. "I'll- I'll do my best!"_

 _Kakashi smiled at him, making a soft whuffing noise and resting his hand over Tomoki's shoulders. "I'm sure you will. Good pup."_

Kakashi had taken Tomoki with him _right then_ , right into the human world. Uuhei - the ninken who had accompanied Kakashi into their world - helped him adjust to the vibrant differences he could smell and sense, and Kakashi gave him a little time to get used to it from Kakashi's own den.

Then he'd been carried off like a parcel, hidden away to be a surprise, and presented to his new Mistress. Tomoki wriggled happily at the thought of her. Her arms had curled around him in welcome immediately, even in her shock - Kakashi hadn't told her anything, only presented Tomoki to her and told her to be a good alpha. Tomoki couldn't imagine her doing anything else - although in her apparent delight she had hugged him tightly enough a normal dog might have been in some discomfort.

Tomoki hardly minded - he was sturdier than any normal dog anyway, and it had been a grounding touch . . . and gratifying, that his new mistress had been so pleased with him.

"Mistress is only a puppy too; Kakashi-sama says he's going to train us together." Tomoki said proudly.

"You may be the only one of us to be contracted." Hideki said, tilting his head. It was impossible to tell if he was upset or not.

Tomoki folded his ears back and whined softly all the same. "I. . ." he began, then trailed off. _He_ hadn't expected to be contracted either. His parents told him stories of when the Hatake clan had been larger, when many packs had been called to run with them; when there had been others, at times, from other clans, that contracted with the dogs. . .

But now there were few. Hatake Kakashi. One of the Inuzuka clan who contracted with summons rather than one of her clan-bred ninken. A missing-nin the puppies weren't really supposed to know about beyond his existence, who treated his summons like bloodless, mindless tools, despite their devotion to him . . . those of them still alive.

And now Kakashi's student, Tomoki's mistress. His tail wagged slightly at the thought.

"If Hatake-sama is taking students he may teach more ninja to contract with our kind. . ."

"Tomoki's mistress may one day choose and call another of us as well!"

"Not for a long time, even if she does. . ."

"As long as we aren't forgotten it doesn't matter."

Listening to his fellows, Tomoki suddenly yipped in startlement as he felt a tug deep in his chest, but he stiffened and seized on it, following it obediently - eagerly. Despite its newness. He appeared in a ready pose, paws splayed and head lowered, standing. . .

On a soft pink bedspread. Tomoki cocked his head and looked up.

"Oh good!" Mistress clapped her hands and smiled at him with a closed mouth, her bright eyes soft as they met his own. "Is- It is okay that I summoned you here isn't it?" she asked, concern suddenly shading her tone.

Tomoki wagged his tail, approaching his mistress. "You may _always_ summon me, Mistress." he said, then nearly melted as she petted his head and neck, small fingers digging deep into his coat. He growled softly, friendly, and Mistress cooed, kneading his shoulders and letting him sprawl across her legs.

Tomoki leaned his head against her arm and ribs and basked in the attention, letting out soft rumbles and whines of pleasure, his tail wagging.

It took him a few minutes to remember that he had been _summoned_ , and his mistress might be lovely and doting, but-

"Mistress, what do you need of me?" Tomoki asked, stumbling a little over the words as he tried to pull himself together, drawing back.

Mistress giggled, running a hand along his muzzle and scritching him behind one ear. "I don't need you to do anything for me," she said, and Tomoki cocked his head curiously, confused, "I wanted to see you . . . and I wanted to be sure you would have someplace to be comfortable here."

Tomoki looked around the small, pink room, cluttered with books, a few plants, and ninja tools and weaponry. He sniffed curiously.

"This is my room, in my house - my parents' house." Mistress said, stroking between his ears. Tomoki wriggled again, nudging his head up into the touch and craning his neck to try and look at her at the same time. "You're welcome on the bed with me, and there's also," she paused and gestured, "I made up a bed for you? If you'll. . . If it's suitable? I don't know what might be . . . right for a ninken."

Tomoki was startled. He wagged his tail and licked her collarbone affectionately before looking around. There was indeed a plush bowl on the floor - big enough for Tomoki and a bit more than that yet - with a green-grey blanket tucked in it. And there was Mistress' bed, where he was currently resting with her.

He put his nose up and sniffed again, curious, and Mistress released him with a last long stroke down his back and sides. Tomoki leapt down off the bed and inspected first his own bed - not strictly necessary for a ninken summon like himself, as he would remain in their world when his Mistress had no need of him, but it was very comfortable - and then made his way around the room to inspect the rest of it.

Though a bit hesitant, Tomoki asked, and his Mistress hopped off the bed and let him out, walking along the corridor and then down the stairs by his side, giving him a tour of the entire house. When their circuit was completed - and he'd had a chance to peek out the windows and into the street - they headed back upstairs and Tomoki snuggled down onto the big bed at his Mistress' side, her hand on his head as she drifted to sleep.

He wagged his tail sleepily, nudged his head a little further under her hand, heart full to bursting, and went to sleep himself.


End file.
